Al Neri
Albert 'Al' Neri is a fictional character from the novel and movie series The Godfather, where he was one of Michael Corleone's assassins, head of security, and later became the Corleone family's underboss. Biography Career with the NYPD Al Neri began his career as a New York City policeman where he earned a reputation as a legitimately tough officer due to his fierce temper and quick reflexes. He frequently patrolled the streets with a large flashlight which he used to great effect, either cracking up the foreheads of Italian youths that ran with street gangs or shattering the windshields of diplomats who showed no regard for traffic laws. After his wife, Rita, left him because of her fear of his temper, Neri killed violent pimp Wax Baines who was in the process of slashing a little girl. Neri accomplished this by shattering Baines' skull with his flashlight; he was later convicted of voluntary manslaughter. Tom Hagen and Peter Clemenza saw in Neri's record a parallel to Luca Brasi, Vito Corleone's previous enforcer, and arranged for his release before he served any prison time. Michael, appealing to Al's sense of loyalty and Sicilian roots, recruited him into Clemenza's regime. He "made his bones" soon afterward, and eventually became Michael's chief lieutenant and most loyal ally. Career as a Corleone Neri killed Moe Greene on Michael's behalf a month after Michael's trip to Las Vegas. He did not reappear in New York until a month later as he had taken his vacation in the Caribbean. When Michael ordered the assassination of the heads of the Barzini and Tattaglia families, Al was responsible for the murder of Emilio Barzini, donning his old N.Y.P.D. uniform in order to delay Don Barzini's departure from the courthouse for an ambush on the courthouse steps as Barzini was leaving. Al killed Barzini's bodyguard and chauffeur, before hitting Barzini twice in the back, killing him. The move to Nevada When Michael and his family moved to Nevada, Al became head of security for all hotels controlled by the Corleones. By this time, Al was seen to be an unofficial second-in-command to Michael. He functioned as one of Michael's caporegimes alongside Rocco Lampone and Frank Pentangeli. He was responsible for a prostitute's murder that guaranteed the loyalty of Senator Pat Geary. He also forced Meyer Klingman, a rival hotel owner, into selling out to the Corleones. Al was personally responsible for carrying out the assassination of Michael's brother Fredo Corleone - a murder that was ordered by Michael because of Fredo's betrayal of him as well as the Corleone family. Al remained loyal to Michael, and when Michael's mother died, he was seen at the funeral paying his respects. In the 1960s, Al began to work closely with his nephew Thomas, who had also been accepted into the family business. The two of them were instrumental in the search for the turncoat Nick Geraci, and interrogated Nick's father Fausto for information. Fausto died from his wounds without revealing anything. When the traitor was found, Al was injured in a shootout, but managed to survive and witness Nick's execution at the hands of Eddie Paradise. Going legitimate By 1979, the aging assassin was still working for the Corleones, his loyalty to Michael extending to the new Don, Michael's nephew Vincent, who he assisted in helping Michael escape a Commission meeting that was being attacked by Joey Zasa. It was Al and Connie Corleone, who gave the go-ahead for Vincent's assasination of Joey Zasa shortly after, despite his protests that it would never work. Final hit Al's talents were called upon one final time, when Vincent ordered him to kill Archbishop Gilday in revenge for the priest's intrigue against the family. He hid his gun beneath a box of chocolates as to get past Vatican Security, and shot the Archbishop as he ascended a spiral staircase, he then threw the Archbishop's lifeless body down the centre of the staircase. It is unknown what happened to Neri after this hit, he presumably retired following Vincent's takeover as Don. Category:The Godfather Category:Corleones Category: Fictional Capos